Tapioca is made from the root of the cassava plant; it's used as a thickening agent in puddings, soups, and fruit-pie fillings. Look for it in the pudding section at your supermarket.

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Parsnips give an earthy dimension to this bread pudding, which melds cubes of brioche, grated cheese, and thyme. The vegetarian dish is yummy enough to sub for traditional stuffing. Assemble it the night before, and bake it the day of the meal.

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Terry Thompson-Anderson, author of "Texas on a Plate," was a guest on Martha Stewart Living Radio (Sirius channel 112). He shared his recipe for peach and white chocolate bread pudding with schnapps whiskey sauce and Chantilly cream.

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We used green and black grapes, but any seedless variety can be used.

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If you want this dish ahead of time, simmer the rice for 15 minutes. When ready to serve, return to a simmer, and cook for five to 10 minutes more before adding the cream. If too much of the milk has been absorbed to bring back to a simmer you may add a little more.